The company has implemented several CSR initiatives in India with a vision to build a sustainable community for all.
Highlights:
To foster sustainable environments, Hitachi has a strong focus on the Education and Skill Development program in India.
The company partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to contribute towards the Government of India's Skill India Mission.
With a vision to create an active community of changemakers, Hitachi India has been conducting the CSR Stakeholder Dialogue since 2015.
The society and environment are transforming rapidly and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) too has evolved beyond a trend to becoming an integral part of businesses. The evolution of CSR strategies is evident today and is clearly demonstrated by the increasing emphasis placed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CSR in India has traditionally been seen as a philanthropic activity. And in keeping with the Indian tradition, it was an activity that was performed solely to benefit the society, but not deliberated.
Given the increasing impetus on greater accountability and transparency, organisations are committing to the SDGs to effectively demonstrate their social responsibility. This is an effective way to foster a sense of community because businesses are working alongside Governments and individuals to achieve common targets.
At Hitachi, we consider the SDGs an important thread that binds the businesses for realising a sustainable society and improving people′s quality of life through solving global social and environmental issues. We have significantly contributed to achieving the SDGs through our Social Innovation Business, which also serves as a source of sustainable growth for us. Through the provision of innovative solutions and products in our Social Innovation Business, we will strive to create social, environmental, and economic value as part of our management strategy. We will also strive to reduce negative social and environmental impacts resulting from our business and seek a deeper understanding of business risks arising from social and environmental changes to ensure greater robustness against them.
Hitachi's CSR Initiatives in India
Building a society which provides equal access to opportunities and negates disparities is a collective responsibility. Hitachi has been working closely and globally to ensure all its businesses are well aligned with how the world is operating and how organisations are constantly re-shaping themselves committing their solutions for the sustenance of the society.
Hitachi, in its aim to contribute to a sustainable environment, continues to focus on the Education and Skill Development program in India. As part of Hitachi's initiative to enable livelihood opportunities to rural youth, we train candidates in two centres in Bengaluru, Karnataka. We partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to contribute towards the Government of India's Skill India Mission. Under this initiative, two trades - Assistant Electrician and Data Entry Operator - were successfully implemented, with placement opportunities. The skill courses witnessed 42 per cent female participation, addressing gender diversity, equality and women empowerment.
Hitachi associated with NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to 'Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators.' Through this initiative, Hitachi envisions to make a meaningful contribution in providing technology infrastructure and a platform to over 3,000 students in Government schools. The program fosters creativity and imagination among the Government school children and inculcates design thinking, problem solving and adaptive learning skills.
With over eight decades of unsurmountable strong foundations in India, Hitachi has been touching millions of lives every minute through its credible OT x IT technology, improving the quality of life. The widespread technological footprints are a testimony to our presence - with over 28 group companies in India, Hitachi's core strengths range from offering urban transportation solutions to e-education, payment solutions. Hitachi's core ideology is a reaffirmation of how effectively we embed SDGs across our businesses.
Environmental, Social and Governance
If we retrospect, CSR has been remodelled from philanthropy for brand marketing to aligning core competencies for business value. By aligning CSR with core competencies, organisations can effectively utilise their resources such as human capital, expertise, and product R&D, which can make significant impact and bring greater value.
More importantly, passion is crucial for leaders to devise a program with meaningful results, however, there's a growing recognition that passions are sometimes fleeting, but purpose can be enduring. The intent towards creating a corporate purpose will go a long way in inspiring the stakeholders, both internal and external, which can be lasting and a guiding force behind a company's operations and its social responsibility.
Organisations are no longer satisfied with just carrying out philanthropy and funding activities or sponsoring events. They have realised the importance of the rapidly emergent transformations, deeply understanding societal trends to sustain their business, aligning social impact and employee engagement with business objectives. In implementing CSR programs, organisations are becoming responsible environmentally, socially and outcome oriented, addressing the key parameters of environmental, social and governance (ESG).
Collaborative creation
Social programs are designed for high impact and larger outreach. In order to achieve far-reaching impact, organisations cannot work in silos. Joining forces with other organisations that work on similar issue areas means more impact, less spent on overhead, and more conversations around the issues facing our communities and our world. Pooling our resources also means that businesses of all sizes can work on big issues and build philanthropy into the business from the beginning.
With a vision to create an active community of changemakers committed to accelerating positive change and innovation to achieve the SDGs, supported by cross-sector collaborations, Hitachi India has been conducting the CSR Stakeholder Dialogue since 2015. The company has also been working closely and globally to ensure all its businesses are well aligned with how the world is responding, operating and how organisations are constantly re-shaping themselves, committing their solutions for the sustenance of the society.
Hitachi Social Innovation is all about creating new value through collaborative creation. We understand our customers, stakeholders' challenges and work together to create a solution. Through collaborative creation, we can breathe life into new possibilities and repurpose resources. Hitachi, through Social Innovation Business, will continue “Powering Good”, making the world a comfortable place for all.
Bharat Kaushal is the Managing Director at Hitachi India.